Drawn to an image of her great-grandfather’s ornately carved cane, Elisa New embarked on a journey to determine the origins of a precious family heirloom. Through her experience, she reaches her own new understanding of her ancestors one that is far different than described in the classics of Jewish mmigration. Reflecting on her history, New richly portrays the texture of remarkable lives, capturing her great-grandfather’s socialist campaign in the migrant hub of Baltimore, and the meteoric rise of Bernhard Baron, the fabled cigarette magnate who was Jacob’s initial friend but eventual nemesis. A fascinating and beautifully-told family saga, Jacob’s Cane will change the way we understand the immigrant experience of countless Americans.